Method of making metal ball-bat

ABSTRACT

An elongated hollow cylindrical tube of relatively light and malleable metallic material has one end closed as by swedging to form the ball-striking end of a ball-bat. The other end of the cylinder is attenuated and narrowed to define the handle end of the ball-bat and is then flared outwardly at the open end, the marginal edge thereof being fluted or plain. A cylindrical cup element is then secured onto said open end, the wall of cup being compressed radially inwardly about the flaring and locked thereabout against rotary or longitudinal movement with respect to the ball-bat.

United States Patent 11 1 Rosalsky Dec. 23, 1975 METHOD OF MAKING METALBALL-BAT [75] Inventor: Ivan Rosalsky, Montclair, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Airlite Aluminum Corporation, Keamy, NJ.

[22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 446,933

52 us. Cl 29/511; 273/72 A [51] Int. Cl. B21!) 39/00; B23P 11/00 [58]Field of Search 29/511; 273/72 A, 72 R [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,499,128 6/1924 Shroyer .1 273/72 R 1,630,249 5/1927Babbitt 29/511 UX 1,665,195 4/1928 Cohn 273/72 R 1,812,743 6/1931 Gagnon29/511 X 10/1972 Merola 273/72 A 4/1974 Willis 273/72 A X I PrimaryExaminerCharlie T. Moon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William R. Liberman[57] ABSTRACT An elongated hollow cylindrical tube of relatively lightand malleable metallic material has one end closed as by swedging toform the ball-striking end of a ball-bat. The other end of the cylinderis attenuated and narrowed to define the handle end of the ball-bat andis then flared outwardly at the open end, the marginal edge thereofbeing fluted or plain. A cylindrical cup element is then secured ontosaid open end, the wall of cup being compressed radially inwardly aboutthe flaring and locked thereabout against rotary or longitudinalmovement with respect to the ball-bat.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patcent Dec. 23, 1975 3,927,466

METHOD OF MAKING METAL BALL-BAT FIELD on THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OFTHE PRIOR ART Metal ball-bats have long been known in the art with fewif any'thereof achievingany measurable degree of acceptance. Among priorart disclosures on ball bats of metal are U.S. Pat. Nos to Moose 377,686of Feb. 7, 1888; to Middlekauf 1,611,858, of Dec. 21, 192 6; Merola3,479,030 of Jan. 26, 1967; Swenck 3,691,625 of Sept. 19, 1972; andWilson 3,703,290 of Nov. 21, 1972. These prior art devices have numerousfailings, related either to cost, difficulty of production, longevity inuse, or are generally unsatisfactory in use with regard to ball strikingreaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The method and product of the present inventionhas eliminated the drawbacks of prior art structures. The method, withthe machinery developed to practice it, is relatively simple anduncomplicated. The body of the bat is formed from a hollow cylindricaltube of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, of strength and rigidity suitablefor use in ball striking and driving. The upper end, or end adjacent theball striking portion, is closed by friction forming the metal at saidupper end. The cylinder, below the ball striking area, is swagedgradually radially to reduce the outer diameter thereof on a gradualtaper to a section of reduced diameter thereby to define thehand-gripping portion. The opening at the handle end is flared outwardlyand its border out of round to provide an undulating peripheral edge.Thereafter an open-mouthed cylindrical cap element is inverted over theflared end, the walls of the cap being crimped on a reverse tapering tointerfit and interlock with the male section, and with the upper edge ofthe cap wall fitting into an annular channel or groove about the handlethereby to merge the cap walls into the body of the handle and toprevent movement of the cap circumferentially or longitudinally relativeto the handle or hand-gripping end. The material used are of differenthardnesses allowing metals to flow into one another.

The product of the present invention is thus a bat of metal which has asmooth, seamless surface from the striking end to the handle end, withthe cap closing the handle end merging into the body of the handle topresent a practically homogeneous body.

The object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a ball-batof a minimal number of components which can be assembled relativelyeasily and quickly into a permanent assembly, along with the method offorming said bat.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a two-piecemetal ball-bat, the pieces being interlocked against relative movement.

Still another object is to provide a metal ball-bat which will provideall the benefits of a unitary onepiece bat and which is formed simplyand easily without brazing, welding, soldering or riveting.

I DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 isia side elevational view of aball-bat constructed according to and embodying the present invention;

, FIG. 2 is a part elevation, part section, enlarged in relation to FIG1, of the handle and cap end of said ball-bat.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the open handle end, during anintermediate stage of the process of formation of the bat of the presentinvention;

- FIG. 4 is a top plan of the flared opening at the handle end of theball-bat showing the border fluting; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the cap end of the ball-bat priortoits application to and securement on the bat.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The ball-bat illustrated in thedrawings annexed hereto, and forming a part hereof, is indicatedgenerally by reference numeral 10 and comprises a ball striking portion12 at one end of bat 10, a handle portion 14 at the other end, and anintermediate bridging portion 16. Bat 10 comprises an originallylongitudinally extending hollow elongated cylinder of aluminum or ofsimilar light, relatively malleable metal. The starting outsidediameterv is that of the conventional ball-bat and its diameter isunchanged throughout the length of the ball striking portion 12. Whiledescribed in relation to a bat used in playing baseball, it will beobvious from the foregoing and from the following description that othertypes of ball-bats may similarly be formed in accordance with thepresent invention.

The cylinder is then subjected to the action of swedging hammers, in theconventional manner, thereby gradually to reduce the diameter of thecylinder to define a bridge portion 16. Thereafter, the swedging iscontinued to reduce the remainder of the cylinder to the same thicknessas the narrower end of the bridge portion 16 for length sufficient todefine the handle portion 14. Handle 14 may be tape-wrapped or otherwisecovered for easier handling. The free open end 18 of the cylinder at thehandle end thereof is then flared outwardly on a suitable mandrel, andthe border fluted as indicated by reference numeral 22 for reasons to beset forth hereinbelow. At the point where outward flaring 18 begins, anannular groove or channel 20 is provided. A cap portion of similarmetallic material is formed, in the shape of an open-ended cup member 24having an annular straight wall 28 tapering in thickness from bottom 26to a reduced thickness edge, as at 30. The flared and fluted end 18 ofbat 10 is then inserted into the open end of cap 24 and sides 18 and cup24 compressed inwardly about the outwardly tapered end 16 to force thebat flutings into the metal of the cap and the metal of the cap into thevalleys of the flutings.

Similarly, as the free ends of the cap sides are radially compressed andthickened, the material thereof is forced into annular groove or channel20 so as to merge into the side of handle 14 and present a smooth,uninterrupted surface against the heel of the hand when the bat is beingmanipulated.

I claim:

1. The method of making a metal ball-bat which comprises deforming themetal at one end of a hollow cylinder to close off said end, reducingthe diameter of the cylinder at the other and open end of said cylinderto extend the length thereof thereby to form a handle portion of uniformdiameter, forming an annular peripheral recess in the handle spaced fromthe open end of the cylinder, applying an inverted side-walled cap ofmetal over the said other end and crimping the side walls of the capagainst the open end of the cylinder and forcing the ends of the sidewalls into the recess to lock the cap against rotary and longitudinalmovement with respect to the bat.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes the step reducing the diameterof the cylinder on a taper from the original diameter thereof to thehandle end.

3. The method of making a metal ball-bat which comprises deforming themetal at one end of a hollow cylinder to close off said end, reducingthe diameter of the cylinder at the other and open end of said cylinderto extend the length thereof to form a handle portion of uniformdiameter, forming an annular peripheral recess in the handle spaced fromthe open-end of the cylinder, flaring the said open end outwardly andfluting the marginal border thereof, applying an inverted sidewalled capof metal over the said other and open end and crimping the side walls ofthe cap against the open end of the cylinder and forcing the ends of theside walls of the cap into the recess to lock the cap against rotary andlongitudinal movement with respect to the bat.

4. The method of claim 3, including the step of deforming the metal ofthe cap and of the fluted border of the handle end so that there is aninterdigitation of cap and border metal preventing relativecircumferential movement of the cap and handle.

1. The method of making a metal ball-bat which comprises deforming themetal at one end of a hollow cylinder to close off said end, reducingthe diameter of the cylinder at the other and open end of said cylinderto extend the length thereof thereby to form a handle portion of uniformdiameter, forming an annular peripheral recess in the handle spaced fromthe open end of the cylinder, applying an inverted side-walled cap ofmetal over the said other end and crimping the side walls of the capagainst the open end of the cylinder and forcing the ends of the sidewalls into the recess to lock the cap against rotary and longitudinalmovemenT with respect to the bat.
 2. The method of claim 1 whichincludes the step of reducing the diameter of the cylinder on a taperfrom the original diameter thereof to the handle end.
 3. The method ofmaking a metal ball-bat which comprises deforming the metal at one endof a hollow cylinder to close off said end, reducing the diameter of thecylinder at the other and open end of said cylinder to extend the lengththereof to form a handle portion of uniform diameter, forming an annularperipheral recess in the handle spaced from the open end of thecylinder, flaring the said open end outwardly and fluting the marginalborder thereof, applying an inverted sidewalled cap of metal over thesaid other and open end and crimping the side walls of the cap againstthe open end of the cylinder and forcing the ends of the side walls ofthe cap into the recess to lock the cap against rotary and longitudinalmovement with respect to the bat.
 4. The method of claim 3, includingthe step of deforming the metal of the cap and of the fluted border ofthe handle end so that there is an interdigitation of cap and bordermetal preventing relative circumferential movement of the cap andhandle.